Holy Scriptures For First Our Blessed Saviour promised the penitent Thief but a little before his Death that That Day he should be with him in Paradise Luk. xxiii 43 And Secondly As he was Expiring he gave up the Ghost with these Words Father into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit Christ therefore having now finish'd his Passion expired upon the Cross. His Body was laid in the Sepulchre his Spirit Return'd unto God that gave it and together with the Soul of the Penitent Thief was carry'd by the Holy Angels into Paradise where the Souls of the Righteous rest till the Day of the Resurrection And from thence it return'd on the third Day and was again Reunited to its Body as Ours also shall be at the Day of Judgment Q. What is your Opinion of the Limbus Patrum or Prison in which those of the Church of Rome suppose the Souls of Holy Men who dyed before the time of Christ to be shut up And to deliver whom they say our Saviour now went down thither A. As of a meer Fiction for which there is not the least ground in Scripture but much to the contrary and fit to keep Company with their Other Dream of Purgatory since SECT XII Q. WAS Christ to continue always under the Power of Death A. No but the contrary was foretold concerning Him That God would not leave his Soul in Hell nor suffer his Holy One to see Corruption Psal xvi 10 Acts ii 31 Q. How was he deliver'd from the Power of the Grave A. He Rose again the Third Day from the Dead Q. How do you understand these Words A. That upon the Third Day after his Death his Soul and Body which had been separated from One Another were by the mighty Power of God brought together again and vitally United to One Another And so the same Jesus who was dead became again alive or as it is in my Creed Rose again the Third Day from the Dead Q. Did Christ Raise Himself from the Dead A. I before said that he was Raised by the mighty Power of God Nor could any thing less than a Divine Power have done it Eph. i. 19 20. Yet as Christ was God as well as Man so he did also upon that account concur to his Own Resurrection And thus the Scripture tells us Jo. ii 19 Destroy this Temple says Christ to the Jews and in Three Days I will Raise it up Jo. x. 17 18. Therefore doth my Father Love me because I lay down my Life that I may take it up again No Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have Power to lay it down and I have Power to take it again Which is also by the way another Evident Argument to prove that Christ is God Q. How does it appear that He did thus Rise from the Dead A. By the Testimony of Those who were Eye-witnesses of it And saw Him first cruelly put to Death and afterwards beheld Him Alive again Q. Are the Persons who give testimony hereunto such as may be securely Rely'd upon in a Matter of this Moment A. They are For First we have the Testimony of his most bitter Enemies as well as of his Friends to prove his Death Mar. xv 39 44 45. Mat. xxvii 62 c. Nor will the Sufferings which He underwent permit Us to doubt of it Jo. xix 33 34. And Secondly as for his being Alive after the Jews who set a Guard upon his Sepulchre on purpose to prevent his being Stollen away and the Pretence of his Resurrection which they were afraid his Disciples had design'd to Raise thereupon yet could not deny but that in despight of all their Care He was Gone out of the Sepulchre and what was become of Him they could not tell Mat. xxvii 62 c. xxviii 11 c. Q. But what positive Witness have you of his being Alive after his Crucifixion A. We have the Witness of his * Apostles of his * Disciples of above * Five hundred Persons who saw him and conversed with him and many of which died for the Testimony which they gave unto it None ever went back from it We have besides this the Witness * of Angels The Witness * of a Persecutor by this very Assurance converted into an Apostle And lastly the Witness * of God Himself who without all dispute enabled the first Preachers of this very Article to work wonderful Miracles in Confirmation of it and thereby as effectually as could be desired Gave his Own Evidence to the truth of it Q. Why do you add the Circumstance of the Time of his Resurrection that He Rose the Third Day A. To shew that he Rose according to the Types and Prophecies that had gone before concerning Him and upon the very Day that He himself had foretold he would Rise Jon. i. 17 ii 10 compare Mat. xii 38 Mat. xvi 21 Jo. ii 19 20. Q. How does it appear that it was the Third Day on which he Rose A. He Suffer'd on the Sixth Day being Our Friday between Nine and Twelve a Clock in the Morning He Rose on the First commonly called Our Sunday Morning after and so was Dead part of Friday all Saturday and part of Sunday For the Jews computed the Day from the Evening and so Saturday Night Six a Clock the First Day of the Week according to them began Q. Was there any thing Remarkable in the Day on which he Rose A. It was the Day on which God had before designed he should Rise And therefore on this Day the Sheaf of the First-fruits by which their Harvest was to be consecrated was lifted up before God among the Jews Lev. xxiii 10 to signify that Christ our First-fruits should on this Day be Raised up by God from the Dead and so become a Surety to Us of our future Resurrection See Rom. xi 16 1 Cor. xv 20 23. Q. What is the special Importance of this Article to Us A. It is very great Inasmuch as First It does beyond contradiction confirm the Divine Authority of our Blessed Lord Rom. i. 4 and the Truth of our Religion Rom. viii 33 34. And in the next Place does Assure Us that the Price of our Redemption was fully paid by Him Rom. iv 25 and is a Pledg to Us that as Christ was raised from the Dead so shall our mortal Bodies be quickned also by the same Spirit of Christ which dwelleth in Vs. Rom. vi 5 9. viii 11 SECT XIII Q. HOW did our Blessed Lord dispose of Himself after that he was Risen from the Dead A. He continued upon the Earth Forty Days with his Disciples both to Confirm them in their Belief of his Resurrection Jo. xx 19 25 27. Act. i. 3 and to Instruct them more fully in all those things which they were afterwards to preach to the World Acts i. 3 And then at the End of them He Ascended into Heaven
more easily be understood If a Man will in defiance of Sense and Reason believe a Post to be his Father and upon that Supposition ask Blessing of a Post does his Opinion or rather his Madness alter the Nature of Things and make him ever the less ask Blessing of a Post because he takes it to be his Father The Papist will needs have a Piece of Bread to be Christ's Body and upon that Presumption He pays Divine Honour to it Does he ever the less Give Divine Honour to a Piece of Bread because he fancies that Bread to be the Body of Christ Q. Will not his Intention direct his Action aright A. No it will not Or if it would his very Intention it self is wrong For his Intention is to adore the Host. 'T is true he Believes it to be Christ's Body and therefore Adores it But still right or wrong the Host he adores which being in reality no more than Bread he must needs commit Idolatry in Adoring of it SECT LI. Q. WHat is Required of them who Come to the Lord's Supper A. To Examine themselves c. Q. When ought such an Examination to be made A. It were much to be wish'd that Men would be perswaded to live under the Constant Practice of it and consider Every Week or indeed Every Day how their Accounts stand towards God But at least if they Neglect it at Other Times yet certainly they ought to do this very nicely and scrupulously before they come to the Holy Communion Q. How must this Examination be perform'd A. By a Careful and Diligent Search into our Lives and Actions that so we may if possible know what the true State of our Souls is in all those Particulars concerning which we are here directed to Examine our Selves And this accompanied with Earnest Prayer to God for his Assistance in and Blessing upon our Endeavours Q. What is the first Point concerning which we are to Examine our Selves A. Whether we Repent Us truly of our former Sins stedfastly purposing to lead a New Life Q. How may we know whether we do this so effectually as we are here Required to do A. We can only judge by the present Frame and Disposition of our Souls If we are heartily Sorry for and Ashamed of our Sins If we earnestly Desire God's Forgiveness of them If we are instant with God in our Prayers for Pardon and where we have done any Injury to our Neighbour are ready to ask his Forgiveness also and to make all Reasonable Satisfaction to him If lastly as far as we can judge of our Selves we do all this Uprightly and Sincerely If we Reserve no secret Affection for any Sin in our Souls but Universally Resolve to forsake All our Evil Ways and in Every Thing to follow the Rules of our Duty We may I think justly conclude that our Repentance and Resolutions are hearty and without deceit and as such will qualify Us for the worthy Receiving of this Holy Sacrament Q. But what if after all this we should Relapse into Sin again A. If we do it by Surprise or Infirmity if we fall back only into some lesser Sins and such as will hardly be altogether to be Avoided by us in this present Life we ought not to be discouraged But indeed if after this we fall into the Commission of some heinous deliberate wasting Sin but especially should we relapse into a Habit and Course of such Sins this would be of a dangerous Consequence to Us and make our last State worse than our first Q. Would it not therefore be the safest way rather to abstain altogether from the Holy Table than to Run the Hazard of Coming Vnworthily to it A. Were it a Matter of Indifference whether we Ever Received this Sacrament or no this might the more Reasonably be insisted upon but as the Case now stands is altogether Idle and Absurd For First To come to the Holy Table is a Matter of Express Duty what Christ has commanded us to do and it is equally dangerous not to Come at all as it is to Come Vnworthily to it Secondly By not Coming we deprive our Selves of the Grace of God which this Sacrament was designed to Convey to Us and in that of the Greatest Benefit as well as Comfort to our Souls in the Course of our Duty that our Religion has provided for them To all which let me add Thirdly That the Shortness and Uncertainty of our Lives being consider'd we ought upon that Account to make the same Preparation against the Hour of our Death that we are Required to do for Coming to the Holy Table And since Men are so very apt to put both the Thoughts of Death and their Provision for it so far off it is an Instance of the Great Mercy and Concern of our Saviour Christ for Us that by calling us frequently to his Table and Requiring so strict a Preparation for it he has engaged Us to put our Souls into such a Posture upon that Account as will fit them for Dying should we chance e're we are aware to be surprized by Death Q. What is the next Thing wherein we are to Examine our Selves before we come to the Holy Communion A. Whether we have a lively Faith in God's Mercy through Christ i. e. do stedfastly Believe that if we do truly Repent Us of our Sins God will not only most certainly forgive them but as an Earnest of it does here in this very Sacrament Ratify and Seal anew his Covenant with Us and make us Partakers of the Benefit of that Redemption which our Blessed Saviour purchased for Us by the Sacrifice of his Own Body and Blood Q. What is the next Particular upon which we are to Examine our selves before we come to the Holy Communion A. Whether we come to it with a thankful Remembrance of Christ's Death which is therein design'd to be set forth and shewn by Us. Whether we are sufficiently Sensible of the Infinite Love of God and Condescension of Jesus Christ hereby declared to Us Whether we are careful always to keep up in our Minds a lively Memory of his Death and Passion And do by the Sincerity of our Love to God and the Zeal we have for our Duty endeavour in some measure to testify how hearty a Sense we have of those unspeakable Mercies which he has been pleased thereby to favour Us withal Q. What is the last Thing concerning which we are to Examine our Selves A. Whether we are in Charity with all Men Whether we do not only freely Forgive whatsoever Injuries any may Chance to have done Us but are so intirely Friends with them as to be Ready to do them all the Kindness we can and that as truly and heartily as if they had never Offended Us or Otherwise done Us the least Injury Q. Is this all that is Required of Us before we come to the Lord's Supper A. Other Exercises there are which may profitably be made Use of
for which the Holy Spirit was given by Christ to his Church A. No His Operations are very many and can hardly be particularly Enumerated He not only Regenerates and Sanctifies Us Disposes us to our Duty and Fortifies Us against Temptation but moreover Directs us in Our Doubts Comforts us in our Afflictions Supports us in our Troubles Arms us against the Fear of Death Gives us Strength and Courage in Trials and Persecutions And in such Cases as he sees needful Seals our Souls with such an Inward Sense and Assurance of God's Favour as makes us firmly satisfied of our future Everlasting Salvation Rom. v. 5 viii 14 17. 2 Cor. i. 22 Eph. i. 14 Gal. iv 6 Q. How long shall the Holy Ghost continue thus to Comfort Sanctify and Guide the Faithful A. As long as there shall any Faithful Remain in need of his Assistance Which because there will be to the End of the World therefore Christ has promised that He shall also till then continue to Conduct and Govern his Faithful Servants Jo. 14.16 Mat. xxviii 20 SECT XVI Q. WHat does the FOVRTH and Last Part of your Creed Relate to A. To the Church of Christ Its Duty and Privileges here and its future Hope of Glory and Immortality hereafter Q. What is the First Thing which you are taught to believe concerning Christ's Church A. That there is a Holy Catholick Church Q. What is that Church of which this Article speaks A. It is the Vniversal Church of Christ the General Assembly of All those who from the time of the first publishing of the Gospel to this Day have believed in Christ or shall hereafter profess his Faith to the End of the World Q. How can such a Church be the Object of our Faith A. Not as to that part of it which we see and communicate with but chiefly in these Two Respects First As we Believe by the Word of God that those who have Gone before Us in the true Faith of Christ and the Fear of his Holy Name though out of all Visible Communion at present with Us do yet Live to God and are still Members of Christ's Church though in a different State from Us and shall together with Us be gather'd into One Glorious Society at the last Day And Secondly As upon the same Grounds we do also farther believe that in all the Ages yet to come to the End of the World Christ shall continue to have a Church upon Earth So that no Power of Men or Malice of the Devil shall ever be able utterly to Root it out or to destroy it Q. How can a Society consisting of such different Members and those at so great a distance both in Time and Place from One Another yet all together make but One Church A. Because how different so ever the Members of this Church may otherwise seem to be yet they are all * United together under One Head the Lord Jesus * Are * Sanctified and Ruled by the same Holy Spirit * Endued with the same Love to God and towards One Another * Live by the same Laws * Profess the same Faith * Partake of the same Sacraments * Have the same Hope of Salvation set before them * Worship the same God by the same Advocate and Saviour Jesus Christ And as to what concerns all the true and lively Members of this Society * shall one Day be Gathered together into One actual Place and Portion in the Glorious Kingdom of God for Ever Q. Wherefore do you give this Church the Title of Catholick A. Upon several Accounts but chiefly these Two First To distinguish it from the Jewish Church which was confined to a certain People and was to continue but for a certain Time Whereas the Christian Church takes in all Mankind and is to last to the End of the World Psal. ii 8 Acts x. 34 35. Mat. xxviii 19 Mark xvi 15 Luk. xxiv 47 1 Cor. xii 13 And Secondly To shew that in this Creed which comprehends what is to be Believed by all Christians we profess not our Faith of any One determinate Church which may cease and fail such as the Church of England or Church of Rome but of the Catholick or Vniversal Church of Christ as that which shall never fail and to which alone the Promises of God belong Q. May not any One determinate Church be called the Catholick Church A. No it may not any more than London may be called England or England the Whole World The Catholick Church is the Vniversal Church and that neither Ours nor any other particular Church is nor whilst there are more such Christian Churches in the World can be But a Catholick Church a Particular Church may be called And such Ours is though that of Rome I doubt will hardly be able to make a Good Pretension to this Title any more than to the Other Q. Do you make a difference then between A Catholick Church and THE Catholick Church A. There is certainly a wide difference between them THE Catholick Church is as I before said The whole Church But A Catholick Church implies no more than a Sound part of it a Church in Communion with the Catholick Church of Christ in opposition to the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks Who whatsoever they may pretend are really no parts of the Catholick Church nor shall be consider'd by Christ as such Q. Whom do you account Hereticks and Schismaticks And how does it appear that they are not Parts of the Catholick Church A. The Catholick Church is that Church which professes the true Faith which Christ and his Apostles deliver'd to it and that if not free from All Errour whatsoever yet without any such Errours as destroy the Foundation of that Doctrine which was committed to its Custody Now a Heretick is One who not only Errs in some Matters of lesser moment but in Matters of such Consequence as subvert the very Foundation of Christianity But he who does this can never be a Member of that Church whose Doctrine he not only does not Receive but rejects And who by his Errours destroys that very Faith by which alone he can be intituled to the Character either of a true Disciple or a sound Member of Christ's Church Q. But why may not Schismaticks be accounted true Members of Christs Church A. Because none are Schismaticks but such as forsake and cut themselves off from the Communion of the Catholick Church Now it is a Contradiction that those should continue Members of the Catholick Church who by their Own voluntary departure from it have renounced the Communion of it Q. Do you look upon the Church of England to be a true part of the Catholick Church A. It certainly is Inasmuch as it professes the true Catholick Faith deliver'd in the Holy Scriptures and drawn up in the Creeds of the Church and by the most ancient Councils acknowledged to be sufficient to denominate those who profess'd according thereunto
there any thing more intimated by that Expression A. Yes there is namely that this Sacrament ought not to be Celebrated only Once in the Year as the Passover was but to be Administred from time to time so as to keep up a Constant Lively Remembrance in our Minds of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ. Q. Wherefore do you call it the Sacrifice of Christ's Death A. Because Christ by his Dying became an an Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind Q. Did Christ then suffer Death for the Forgiveness of our Sins A. He did He took upon him our Sins and died for them that by his Death we might be free'd both from the Guilt and Punishment of them Q. Was it necessary that Christ should die in order to his being such a Sacrifice A. It was necessary for without shedding of Blood there is no Remission Heb. ix 22 And Death being the Punishment of Sin he could no Otherwise have free'd us from Death than by Dying himself in our Stead Q. Can Christ any more Suffer or Die now since his Rising from the Dead A. No St. Paul expresly tells us that he cannot Rom. vi 9 10. Christ being Raised from the Dead dieth no more Death hath no more Dominion over him For in that he died he died unto Sin Once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Q. How then do those of the Church of Rome say that he is again Offer'd for Us as a true and proper Sacrifice in this Holy Sacrament A. This Sacrament is not a Renewal or Repetition of Christ's Sacrifice but only a Solemn Memorial and Exhibition of it To talk of an Expiatory Sacrifice for Sin without Suffering is not only contrary to Scripture but is in the Nature of the thing its self Absurd and Unreasonable Every Sacrifice being put in the Place of the Person for whom it is offer'd and to be treated so as that Person in Rigour ought to have been had not God admitted of a Sacrifice in his stead And therefore the Apostle from hence concludes that Christ could not be more than Once Offer'd because he could but Once Suffer But to suppose that Christ in his present Glorified State can Suffer is such a Contradiction to all the Principles of our Religion that the Papists themselves are ashamed to assert it Q. What think you of the Sacrifice as they call it of the Mass A. We do not deny but that in a large Sense this Sacrament may be called a Sacrifice as the Bread and Wine may be called the Body and Blood of Christ. But that this Sacrament should be a true and proper Sacrifice as they define the Sacrifice of the Mass to be it is altogether False and Impious to assert Q. What was then the Design of our Saviour in this Institution A. To leave to his Church a Perpetual Solemn and Sacred Memorial of his Death for Us. That as often as we come to the Lord's Table and there join in the Celebration of this Holy Sacrament we might be moved by what is there done at once both to Call to Our Remembrance all the Passages of his Passion to consider him as there set forth Crucified before our Eyes and to Meditate upon the Love of Christ thus dying for Us and upon the mighty Benefits and Advantages which have accrued to Us thereby SECT XLVII Q. YOU before said that in Every Sacrament there must be Two Parts an Outward and an Inward What is therefore the Outward Part or Sign of the Lord's Supper A. Bread and Wine which the Lord hath Commanded to be Received Q. Did Christ Institute this Sacrament in Both these A. Yes He did He first took Bread gave Thanks and Brake it saying Take Eat this is my Body which is broken for you This do in Remembrance of me And then After the same Manner he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me 1 Cor. xi 24 25. Q. For what End did Christ appoint these Outward Signs of this Sacrament A. The Words of his Institution plainly shew it that those who celebrate this Sacrament might Eat of the One and Drink of the Other at his Table Q. Is it necessary for all those who join in this Holy Sacrament both to Eat of that Bread and to Drink of that Cup A. It is so necessary that they cannot without violating our Saviour's Institution come to to the Holy Table unless they do it For Christ appointed Both to be taken and he who takes not the Cup as well as Bread does not Communicate in Christ's Body and Blood at all Q. May not a Person who only looks on and sees the Priest Officiate Commemorate Christ's Death and meditate upon the Benefits of it as well as if he received the Elements of Bread and Wine A. I will answer your Question with Another May not a Person who is not Baptized when he sees that Holy Sacrament administred be truly penitent for his Sins and believe in Christ and desire to be Regenerated and Adopted into the Communion of his Church as fully as if he were himself wash'd with the Water of Baptism But yet the bare looking on in this Case would not intitule such a One to the Grace of Regeneration nor will it any more intitule the Other to the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood In all these Cases the Question is not what we think we might do but what Christ has commanded us to do And we must observe what he Requires if ever we mean to be made Partakers of what he Promises Now that in the present Instance is not idly to look on but to do this i. e. to Eat this Bread and Drink of this Cup in Remembrance of Him Q. Do you think it necessary that Every Communicant should Receive this Sacrament in Both Kinds A. I do think it Necessary for so our Saviour has appointed it Thus he gave it to his Disciples and thus they Received it at his Hands Q. But his Disciples were Priests and therefore their Receiving this Sacrament in both Kinds does not argue that it is necessary for the People to do likewise A. Whether all who were then present at the Table with our Saviour were Priests is very Uncertain The Blessed Virgin we are sure was at that time at Jerusalem and no doubt did eat the Passover according to the Law with him yet she was certainly but a Lay Communicant And many Others for ought we know there might be in the same Circumstances But not to insist upon this Our Saviour made no distinction between Priests and Lay Communicants as to the Business of Receiving of this Sacrament in One or Both Kinds He Gave both the Bread and Wine himself to All that were at the Table and He has left a General Commandment to Us to do likewise And his Words and his Action together evidently
require this of all of Us That those who Administer this Sacrament should Administer it as Christ did and those who Receive it should Receive it as the Disciples did of Him Q. Do you then make no Distinction between the Priests and the People in what concerns this Holy Sacrament A. As to the Manner of Receiving it none at all When those who are Priests Receive this Sacrament of another Priest it is as when they hear the Word Preach'd They do it not as Priests but as Christians And therefore at the Institution of this Sacrament our Saviour Christ alone acted as a Priest He resembled the Ministers of his Church the Disciples represented the Faithful who were afterwards to Receive the Sacrament from the Ministers of the Church after the very same manner that They Received it at Christ's Hands Q. But is not this Sacrament as Perfect in One Kind as in Both A. Can a Thing be perfect which wants one half of what is Required to make it Perfect Q. Yet it cannot be deny'd but that he who Receives the Body of Christ does therewith Receive the Blood too A. Though that be not the Question yet if not only may be but in this Case is absolutely deny'd by Us nor indeed can it without a manifest Absurdity be affirm'd It was the Design of our Saviour Christ in this Sacrament to Represent his Crucified Body his Body as it was Given for Vs. Now we know that when He suffer'd his Blood was shed and let out of his Body and that to Represent his Blood thus separated from his Body the Cup was consecrated apart by Him And how then can it be pretended that he who Communicates in Such a Body must partake of the Blood together with it But this is not our Business The Points which we insist upon are these First Whether Christ having confessedly instituted this Sacrament in both Kinds and commanded Us to Do likewise those do not evidently depart from his Institution who Give and Receive it only in One And if they do Then Secondly Whether They have any Reason to expect to be made Partakers of the Benefits of this Holy Communion who do not Receive it after such a Manner as Christ has commanded Us to do Q. Did the Apostles give the Cup to the Lay Communicants in their Churches A. Yes certainly or else St. Paul would never have argued with the Corinthians against Communicating with Idolaters as he does 1 Cor. x. 15 c. I speak as to Wise Men judge ye what I say The CVP of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ Ye cannot drink the CVP of the LORD and the Cup of Devils Nor have spoken of this Sacrament as he does in the next Chapter Ver. 26 27 28 29. In every One of which He takes notice of their Drinking of the Sacramental CVP as well as of their Eating of the Sacramental Bread Q. What then do you think of Those of the Church of Rome who deny the Cup to the Laity A. As of a most presumptuous Sort of Men who Sacrilegiously deprive the People of what Christ has given them a Right to Q. Do you think this Change so considerable as to warrant you to break off Communion with that Church which has made it A. No one can with a good Conscience Receive this Holy Sacrament after any Other Manner than Christ has ordain'd it to be Received If therefore the Church of Rome shall obstinately Refuse to give it to the Lay Communicant in Both Kinds he is bound in Conscience not to Receive it of her Priests at all But to go to those who are ready to distribute it to them in the same Integrity in which it was first Instituted by our Blessed Lord. SECT XLVIII Q. WHat is the Inward Part or Thing Signified in this Holy Sacrament A. The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful in the Lord's Supper Q. Are the Body and Blood of Christ really distributed to every Communicant in this Sacrament A. No they are not for then every Communicant howsoever prepared or not for it would alike Receive Christ's Body and Blood as to its Substance there That which is given by the Priest to the Communicant is as to its Nature the same after Consecration that it was before viz. Bread and Wine Only alter'd as to its Vse and Signification Q. If the Body and Blood of Christ be not really given and distributed by the Priest how can they be verily and indeed Taken and Received by the Faithful Communicant A. That which is given by the Priest is as to its Substance Bread and Wine As to its Sacramental Nature and Signification it is the Figure or Representation of Christ's Body and Blood which was broken and shed for Us. The very Body and Blood of Christ as yet it is not But being with Faith and Piety Recieved by the Communicant it becomes to Him by the Blessing of God and the Grace of the Holy Spirit the very Body and Blood of Christ As to those who come Unworthily to it it is made Damnation that is it Renders them worthy of it and without Repentance will Certainly consign them over unto it Q. How does the Bread and Wine become to the faithful and worthy Communicant the very Body and Blood of Christ A. As it intitules him to a Part in the Sacrifice of his Death and to the Benefits thereby procured to all his faithful and obedient Servants Q. How does Every such Communicant Take and Receive the Body and Blood of Christ in this Sacrament A. By Faith And by means whereof he is as truly intituled to a part in Christ's Sacrifice by Receiving the Sacramental Bread and Wine which is there deliver'd to Him as any Man is intituled to an Estate by Receiving a Deed of Conveyance from One who has a Power to surrender it to his Use. Q. What are the Benefits whereof Those who thus Receive this Holy Sacrament are made Partakers thereby A. The strengthning and refreshing of their Souls by the Body and Blood of Christ as their Bodies are by the Bread and Wine Q. How does such a Receiving of this Holy Sacrament strengthen our Souls A. As it adds a New Confirmation to Us every time we Receive it of God's Mercy towards us through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and thereby Fortifies and Corroborates Us more and more both in the Discharge of our Duty and to a Resistance of all Such Temptations as may be likely to Draw Us away from it Q. Does it Strengthen Us in any Other Respect besides this A. Yes it does For being thus secured of a Right to Christ's Sacrifice for Us we are thereby fortified against all Doubts and Fears of our Salvation Are confirm'd against the Apprehension of any present Dangers or Sufferings which we shall Reckon not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be